Effect of Environment on the Magnitude of Inbreeding Depression in Seed Germination in a Partially Self-Fertile Perennial Herb (Blandfordia grandiflora, Liliaceae)

1998 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Ramsey ◽  
Glenda Vaughton
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Blandfordia Grandiflora

Flowering of Blandfordia grandiflora (Christmas bells) in response to fire frequency and temperature

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 449
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Griffith ◽  
Susan Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rates ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Frequency Effect ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Flowering Response ◽  
Flowering Season ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Blandfordia Grandiflora

Blandfordia grandiflora (Blandfordiaceae) is a resprouting perennial herb in wet heathland of coastal and tableland habitats on mainland eastern Australia. It has attractive turbinate flowers of considerable horticultural value. Blandfordia grandiflora is reported to have an enhanced flowering response in the first post-fire flowering season, and management prescriptions advocate frequent fire as beneficial for the species. Nonetheless, the present study appears to be the first to document the flowering response and fate of individual plants exposed to a range of fire frequencies (3-, 6- and 9-year intervals) over an extended period. We also examined the flowering response in unburnt habitat. High survival rates (>95%) were observed for B. grandiflora plants in heathland that had remained unburnt for a minimum of 30 years. Flowering after experimental burns was found to peak in the second post-fire flowering season rather than the first, and there was no clear fire frequency effect. Maximum levels of flowering during the second post-fire season reached 38 to 56% of individuals, although in some years post-fire flowering during this peak season was as low as 23%. Comparatively few plants flowered during the second-year peak season after every fire, and ~34% of individuals in both the 6- and 9-year burn treatments failed to flower at any time. Inter-fire flowering was also observed, and in some instances this flowering was not significantly different to the level achieved during the peak post-fire flowering season. For example, ~9% of individuals flowered 5–7 times over a 12-year period despite being burnt on only four occasions. Flowering after vernalisation (winter-chilling) was observed in unburnt heathland, and the level of this response was not significantly different to peak post-fire flowering in some years. The findings are examined in the context of evolutionary and habitat processes within a climate change framework. Future studies should focus on the complex interactions between climate, fire and soil for not only B. grandiflora, but more importantly for the diverse assemblage of plant species in wet heathland.

Priming effects on seed germination of two perennial herb species in a disturbed lava field in central Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71
Author(s):  
Jafet Belmont ◽  
María E. Sánchez-Coronado ◽  
Helia R. Osuna-Fernández ◽  
Alma Orozco-Segovia ◽  
Irene Pisanty
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Germination Capacity ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Cultivated Species ◽  
Perennial Herbs ◽  
Herb Species ◽  
Seed Coats

AbstractPriming has proved to enhance seed germination, but most of the research dealing with this topic has been carried out with cultivated species. The potential applications that this process has on wild species, which can be useful for restoration, are usually overlooked. This study analyses the germination response after natural priming and hydropriming of Penstemon roseus and Castilleja tenuiflora, two perennial herbs growing in a protected area known as ‘Parque Ecológico de la Ciudad de México’. Photoblastism was evaluated for both species. Seeds were exposed to a hydration/dehydration cycle and then placed in germination chambers to determine responses to hydropriming. To identify the effects of natural priming, seeds were buried in natural conditions and then recovered every two months and placed in germination chambers. Germination percentages and rates were then quantified. Both species proved to have permeable seed coats. Penstemon roseus seeds are positive photoblastic whereas C. tenuiflora seeds are indifferent to light. Priming methods increased C. tenuiflora germination rates, but they did not affect germination capacity. For P. roseus, priming methods did not improve germination rates, and germination capacity of recovered seeds decreased after the rainy season, suggesting that P. roseus forms a short-term, transient, seed bank. The germination strategies of these two species allow them to occupy suitable microsites for germination and establishment. These responses can be helpful in developing restoration programmes based on the accelerated establishment of native and characteristic successional species.

scholarly journals Seed dormancy and germination in Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense, a perennial herb in China with post-dispersal embryo growth

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-314
Author(s):  
Ye-Fang Li ◽  
Jie Song ◽  
Wen-Ling Guan ◽  
Feng-Rong Li
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Dormancy ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Dormancy Breaking ◽  
Morphophysiological Dormancy ◽  
Summer Temperatures ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Seed Dormancy And Germination

Seeds of Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense, which is native to China, has underdeveloped embryos when dispersed from parent plants that did not grow until the second autumn and winter after exposure to summer temperatures. Radicles and cotyledons emerged in late winter and spring. Thus, a 15–16 month period was required from dispersal to seed germination. Under laboratory conditions, this period could be shortened to 5–6 months in a 25°C/15°C (60 days) → 15°C/5°C (60 days) → 5°C (60 days) temperature sequence. Based on dormancy-breaking requirements, the seeds have deep simple morphophysiological dormancy (MPD). This is practical knowledge for propagation of the species from seeds.

Germination ecology of the perennial herb Xyris longiscapa: inter-annual variation in seed germination and seasonal dormancy cycles

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Túlio G. S. Oliveira ◽  
Queila S. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Campo Rupestre ◽  
Light Requirement ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Germination Ecology ◽  
Primary Dormancy ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Dormancy Cycles

AbstractGermination ecology was investigated in a natural population of Xyris longiscapa, a perennial herbaceous species endemic to the Brazilian campo rupestre. Seeds were collected over four consecutive years (2014 to 2017) to evaluate germination responses to a range of temperatures (from 15 to 30°C). The light requirement was evaluated in seeds collected in 2014. Seeds collected in 2014 were also buried in soil in the natural habitat of the species to evaluate changes in germinability at different temperatures over the time. Seeds showed an absolute light requirement for germination. Seed germination was affected by temperature, collection year and the interaction between these two factors. Seeds collected in 2014 showed a narrower temperature range for germination (15–20°C), compared with the seeds collected in 2015, 2016 and 2017 that germinated in a temperature range of 15–25°C. Buried seeds remained viable in soil for at least 14 months and exhibited seasonal dormancy cycling. Secondary dormancy was induced during the rainy season and alleviated during the dry season, following a conditional dormancy/dormancy cycle. The degree of primary dormancy appeared to be influenced by the environmental conditions experienced by seeds during maturation. Primary dormancy (when present), seed persistence in soil and seasonal dormancy cycles are strategies of X. longiscapa to enhance regeneration success in the harsh environment of the Brazilian campo rupestre.

Improvement of germination capacity of Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby by seed priming techniques

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kurucz ◽  
M. G. Fári
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Hot Water Treatment ◽  
Germination Capacity ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Close Relationship

Abstract Sida hermephrodita or Virginia mallow is a perspective perennial herb in the Malvaceae family able to yield a biomass crop through the last two decades. Additionally, the plants have a lot of uses and benefits for instance it can be used as a fodder crop, honey crop, ornamental plant in public gardens. It has favourable features for example fast growing and resistance against the disease and climatic fluctuations, etc. Since Sida is in the beginning phase of domestication, it has a serious disadvantage: the low and slow germination as a big part of wild plants. Due to the expressly low germination percent, the need of seed showing of driller should tenfold 200 thousand seeds/acre instead of 10–20 thousand, which is not available and expensive. Therefore the practical purpose of our research of seed physiology was to increase the seed germination percent in the available, basically wild Sida population. In the first stage of our experiments we examined two factors relating to seed germination percent and seed germination power during our research: the influence of hot water treatment and the effect of exogenous or endogenous infection of seeds. However, in our germination tests, utilizing the scarified seeds with hot water (65, 80 and 95 °C), from 29.3% to 46% germinated from those samples, which were collected from the population of S. hermaphrodita in Debrecen. The average germination for all season was 5–10% without treatment and rinsed using hot water up to almost 50%. When applying physically scarified use, the oldest seeds showed the best germination (46%) after the hot water operation in spite of the previous studies. We discovered that there is a close relationship between the collecting time of the seeds and the ration of seed infections, as well as germination percentage. Thus, the 2009 season was the most favourable in case of contamination (control: 17.3% and 80 °C treatment: 0%) as well as germination percent. It could be concluded that the best season for our findings was 2009 due to autumn harvest of Sida seeds. In our opinion, the autumn harvesting should be the best time to overcome the problem of the low germination and high infection percentage. We also discovered that apparently there is a close relationship between the seed fresh weight or water uptake capability and the percentage of infection. Following these recognitions, we modified our technique in such a way that we fractionated the seeds based on their fresh weight / or relative density before we carried out the treatment. When we filtered the floating seeds on the surface of water, the hot water treatment was performed considerably better on the sunk seeds after separation. Therefore by this special priming process, we were able to reach 80% germination capacity of Virgina mallow seeds under laboratory conditions (26 °C without illumination).

scholarly journals Endophytic Microorganism From the Endangered Plant Nervilia Fordii (Hance) Schltr. In the Southwest Karst Area of China: Isolation, Genetic Diversity and Potential Functional Discovery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Ming Tan ◽  
Xin-Feng Yang ◽  
Ya-Qin Zhou ◽  
Peng Fu ◽  
Shi-Yi Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Fungal Endophytes ◽  
Karst Area ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Perennial Herb ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer Region ◽  
Bletilla Striata

Abstract The plant Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schltr. is known for its antimicrobial and antitumor properties. It is a rare and vulnerable perennial herb of the Orchidaceae family. In this study, 984 isolates were isolated from various tissues of N. fordii. and were identified through the sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene. Except for 12 unidentified fungi, all others were affiliated to at least 39 genera of 14 orders of Ascomycota (72.66%) and Basidiomycota (19.00%). Antimicrobial activity was determined by using the agar diffusion method. Subsequent assays revealed 20 strains of fungal endophytes exhibited antibacterial activity against at least one pathogenic bacterium or fungus. Moreover, the capability of promoting seed germination was evaluated on the basis of the interaction of Bletilla striata seeds with the isolates. Results revealed that the three isolates could promote B. striata seed germination. After 21 days, the germination rate under treatment with the best strain was 97.89%, which was higher than that under the control treatment (12.68%). Taken together, the present data suggested that various endophytic fungi of N. fordii could be exploited as sources of novel natural antimicrobial agents or used for the artificial breeding of rare orchids.

Seed germination in cleistogamous species: theoretical considerations and a literature survey of experimental results

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry M. Baskin ◽  
Carol C. Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Literature Survey ◽  
Mixed Mating ◽  
Mixed Mating System ◽  
Commelina Benghalensis ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

AbstractA cleistogamous species consists of individuals that produce both chasmogamous (open, CH) and cleistogamous (permanently closed, CL) flowers, which facilitates a mixed-mating system. In contrast to what one might expect, CL (obligately selfed) seeds and the plants derived from them can be more fit than CH (potentially outcrossed) seeds and the plants they give rise to. Our aim was to review some theoretical aspects of mixed mating in relation to retention of both CH and CL in cleistogamous species and to determine if data on germination support the notion that CL is advantageous over that of CH. Based on germination (or seedling emergence) of CHvsCL seeds in 29 species in 21 genera and 11 families of monocots and eudicots, CL seeds germinated better in 107 and equally well as in 64 of 252 case studies as CH seeds (67.9%), and the (CH < CL):(CH > CL) ratio was 107/81 (1.32). We conclude that our study lends support to the notion that production of CL seeds by cleistogamous species is advantageous over that of CH seeds. Retention of CH by CL species may be due to the need to prevent complete selfing (s= 1.0) and thus total inbreeding depression (δ), which theory predicts would decrease reproductive success. Some caveats concerning the results of comparative studies on the germination biology of CHvsCL seeds of amphicarpicsensu strictoFabaceae species andCommelina benghalensisand the aerial cleistogamous grassDanthonia spicataare discussed.

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